There are so many things we hold tight to, claiming them as ours. But no matter how much we work to earn them – our homes, jobs, even our relationships – they don’t belong to us. Each is gift from God, shared with us, but not ours.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)
As a mother of young children, I hear the word “Mine!” thrown around quite a bit. If there’s one thing kids learn early, it’s ownership. From favorite toys to their own parents, kids are quick to assert their claim for all the other children to see.
So it’s obvious that the idea of holding tight to things and people has been with us a while. As adults, we have the same impulse (we just hide it better). We talk about our jobs, our homes, and our cars. We mention our friends, our kids, and our spouses. Even when we’re generous, most of us are still thinking that we’re sharing what is ours.
But what is really ours? Yes, you worked for that promotion, you earned the money to buy the house, you put in the time to make your relationship flourish.
If we look at it another way, though, we might ask who gave us the skills and heart to work for that promotion? Who put us in a position to earn the down payment? Who placed that person we eventually married in our lives in the first place?
All we hold tight to was given to us by God
Everything we’ve been blessed with was a gift, shared with us by the God who created it all. This is all His. We just have it on loan while we’re walking on this earth.
So why are we holding these things so tightly when we aren’t the ones who control them?
We can be grateful for what we’ve been given, and should be grateful. But we should also be willing to loosen our grip a little. To share, not out of the goodness of our hearts or because it makes us look good, but because it was all shared with us first.
What does that look like? Maybe it looks like financial generosity, or sharing our time with those who need help or companionship. It might be letting go of the iron grip we have on our children and allowing God to lead them. Maybe it’s appreciating our spouse, family, and friends more for who they are rather than who we’d like to mold them into.
My children are getting closer to the teenage years, and I see the independence growing in them. Part of me wants to hold them tight so I can keep them on the right path, keep them from mistakes and pain as they grow closer to adulthood.
But the other part of me knows that even though I gave birth to these little humans, they were a gift from God. And they are His children as much as mine. At one point, I need to loosen my grip so He can guide them. Share His gifts with them. Comfort them.
I need to let go so He can bless them as He has blessed me.
The things of this world were never ours. We are the stewards, caring for them here. But they all, we all, belong to the Lord. I pray we’ll remember that today and hold the people and things in our lives a little less tightly.
Have a blessed day!
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Why We Need to Do Our Best and Let Go
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